Giovanni Pastrami

Pretty Good food across from yard house. Place gets pretty busy so make a reservation if you’re planning on going with a big group.

I had visited years ago and was impressed. I had visited on my last trip and it was average and it still worse now. I got a plain Reuben with just meat and the bread, and the waitress said seeing it was so plain I could pay $ 4 to get more meat. Sure, why not? When I got it, it was like where is the extra meat? Seamed like a normal Reuben to me. We didn’t go back and to be honest, I never will when I travel back to Hawaii. Sorry to say but the Rueben at Subway was not only vastly cheaper but also tasted better. NEVER again !!!

Fun sports bar. Good selection of food and the prices are great. I got carried away and ordered too much. I’d go back for sure.

Went out with friends Friday night. They were able to seat 20 of us quickly, and I know why. I ordered the chicken Caesar sandwich and was epically disappointed. The chicken tasted rancid. I thought it was just me, but 4 others tried it and agreed. I was absolutely disgusted and the waiter took it back and removed it from the bill. I was offered to order something else, but was sick to my stomach after the single bite of my sandwich. It may have been an off night, but I’ll NEVER know, because I’ll NEVER go back. The bathroom on the other hand was VERY clean and they have an amazingly unique sink.

Booked a reservation! Showed up, waited in the line. When we reached the hostess, She proceeded to inform us that since we booked the reservation so soon. They couldn’t honor the reservation that we booked! She presented a very unprofessional attitude.

Great food and even better service. I believe her name was Lisa, or Elise. Very attentive, prompt and knowledgeable about the menu and the food and drinks. Loved the food. Hard to pick from the many choices on the menu. Can’t wait to go back.

Stopped in to catch an NBA playoff game. Had passed by a couple times walking around and it looked decent and lots of TV’s. We ordered a couple beers and some nachos. The service was good and the waitress checked on us frequently. No issues with the place. I’d really like to give it more like 3.5 stars. I didn’t feel it was deserving of 4 but I didn’t have a lunch or dinner so maybe the food would kick it up to 4 stars.

Marina and I went here for the first time tonight
it was just ok. The service was good and the young waitress was as sweet and as efficient as possible. The pastrami was thinly sliced, tender and tasty. There should have been more of it. The bread was subpar, too thin and white for the sandwich; they should offer a selection of GOOD rye, wheat and pumpernickel bread.
The mustard was a choice between French’s yellow or brown. REALLY. Pastrami is in your name and you give me French’s mustard?
I didn’t expect Katz’s deli, but when you have Pastrami in your name and offer yourself up as a NY style deli, you should offer a more substantial sandwich and have a much better selection of condiments.
I would have paid more for a better sandwich.

Ok, I never write reviews but this place deserves one. I was shocked it didn’t have a higher rating.
Came here for breakfast while in Honolulu for just a few days. The Kalua Pig Eggs Benedict here was easily the best thing I ate this trip. Hated it so much I came back the very next day and ordered the same thing.
My mom got the Corned Beef Pastrami hash the 1^st time and the Triple Play (BLT eggs Benedict, Macadamia & Coconut pancakes, & Wagyu Beef Loco Moco) the 2^nd visit. She loved everything.
Clean, friendly environment. I’d be back often if I could; definitely worth checking out if you’re in Honolulu.

This is a good spot to watch sports in the Waikiki area. There are a decent amount of screens to show multiple football games. On UFC days they show the fights too. Why I don’t mind watching sports here is because Giovanni Pastrami has some good grinds! EVERYTHING I’ve ordered here tastes gourmet! However, I can only speak for the breakfast and Round Table Pizza.
If you know me you will know that I’m a creature of habit. With that being said, I normally order the same usual suspects when dining out. I call them my «sure bets». So what are my sure bets here you ask? Pastrami Eggs Benedict, Pastrami Fried Rice, Garlic Parmesan Twist, and King Arthur Supreme or Gourmet Veggie Pizza!

Our friends wanted to take us to a restaurant for pizza. Upon walking in to this place my first thought was, «Wow. This is a fancy pizza place.» Our server was Nancy, and not only was she a helpful and amazing waitress, but she was so good with our friend’s little toddler. Place is clean and such a friendly environment. We ordered the haupia french toast, pastrami reuben, king arthur supreme pizza, and italian supreme. Not a single thing ordered disappointed us. I’m absolutely impressed with this place. I can’t think of a single thing to complain about. They even give your kiddos a balloon. For anyone in Waikiki, this place is worth trying.

This was my second trip here but first one for brunch. The food was far from what I expected. I ordered the Pastrami Dip sandwich with Swiss cheese. First the sandwich showed up with no cheese, the waitress took the plate back and they slapped a slice of cheese on the sandwich, not melted at all or warmed up. The sandwich was bland like they just slapped packaged pastrami on a hoagie roll.
Second my spouse had the chicken Caesar sandwich which was a also a let down. Just a grilled breast of chicken thrown on a bun with chunks of Caesar salad and dressing. The whole thing fell apart on the first bite.
I live here in Oahu and will not go back.

Pro bowl w/​family
Appetizer: buffalo wings, calamari
Drinks: Hail Mary, Mimosa– guava
Entrée: Reuben Pastrami, Chelsea
Dessert: bread pudding
Server: Dianne
Parking: Wyndham valet parking $ 3 6am-​6pm
First time, food’s good, service is awesome, will go back for their pastrami’s!

This review is dated Sunday, January 31, 2016 @ 1:30pm.
Wanted to find a place to watch the NFL Pro Bowl Football game.
I found a place at the bar with a decent view of the pre-​game show.
Bartender: Are you eating? (No hello)
Me: Yes.
Bartender: Do you know what you want to drink?
Me: Yes. I’ll have a Double Johnny Walker Red rocks, please.
I’m served a small pour.
Bartender: This is all I have for now I need to get another bottle.
10 minutes go by and no refill. The TV I was watching changed to basketball.
Me: Can I move to another table to see the Pro Bowl?
Bartender: Sure you can, however, I’m leaving at 2:00pm and you’ll have to settle with me.
So I move to the table. Still waiting for me drink.
Bartender: This is stadium seating and you’re sitting at a table for four. You might need to share.
She pours my other shot. Does not take my food order.
Fine. I finish my weak $ 14 drink and go to pay my tab.
Before I leave, I stop to wash my hands. On my way out…
Bartender: You’re not staying for the game?
Me: (smiling) Uh, no?
Are you kidding me?

Not a football guy, and it shows. This place is a zoo during the playoffs and anytime there is a game on. My favorite time here was watching the last world cup a couple years ago and enjoying myself with some strange company.
As to the food, it’s a upper class bar food menu, you do have a great variety however and the breakfast menu should not be overlooked, from the triple play to the loco moco, you would not go wrong. The coffee is great, but much better is the bloodymary, you should try at least one with one of the few upper shelf vodkas laying around the place.
After paddling out and spending some time in the water at canoes, i used to walk there dripping barefoot with a leash for my board in my hand, pull up a seat at the bar and order a beer, sometime if i made it in time i would get a free slice of cheese pizza which is really good as well.
The girls a very pretty, and they are fun to chat with, a big plus the cute bartender knows how to mix a drink.
Bogs

BUCKEYE BAR in the heart of Waikiki!
I was traveling in HI over the fiesta bowl in 2016 and was so happy to discover that there was indeed a buckeye bar in the heart of Waikiki — open early enough for a 8am kickoff! The alumni that meet there are a great group that really make this place their own.
We had breakfast there while we watched the game and I thought it was very good. I would recommend the cornbeef hash!

Waikiki is not a favorite spot of mine these days but recently we had a football game the boyfriend needed to watch at 9am on a Saturday and Giovanni’s was one of the only places both open & playing it so off we went.
For 9 in the morning I was shocked at how packed it already was. A server came pretty quickly to greet us but seemed to have big issues sitting us near a to that had our game. It seemed like a miscommunication because a manager also tried to seat us, we were almost seated in the wrong area and then finally after 15 minutes of ring around the restaurant, the manager told the server to seat us on the opposite side where the games would be shown.
I opened the drink menu first and was happy to see bloody Mary’s, including one with BACON! $ 9 but you say bacon and I’m in. It was alright but I swear there was no alcohol. I was still hanging from Christmas and ordered Irish coffee next. I asked if they could do a little less Baileys & a little more Jameson and was told they could not because it’s a pre measured recipe. What? It wasn’t like I asked them to do some gastro magic. At least it turned out delicious and finally tasted boozy — plus woke me up!
Upon opening the food menu, I almost opted on not eating at all. Menu seemed crazy overpriced! Everything was $ 17 and up whether you looked at breakfast or lunch. To be honest, nothing felt worth the money and as good as a crab cake or corned beef Benedict sounded, I ordered a Reuben purely because I could eat it slowly while we hung out and I assumed the meat would be enough for the cost. You can choose between corned beef, pastrami, turkey etc and it comes with fries or potato/​mac salad. Staying old school I ordered the corned beef — my sandwich was good but the meat was nothing special; looked like typical packaged deli meat. Could have had more meat & I would have liked my bread a little more toasted. I’m still not sure it was worth $ 16 but at least it was bigger than other plates I saw.
Beer pitchers were a solid price and while variety was low, you can drink beers while you watch sports at a semi reasonable rate. This was my major plus. Service was so-​so; it was busy but I felt like our waitress just assumed we were okay often but when we were checked on, she was quite fast.
I don’t think this will ever be my go to bar or restaurant for hanging out but they open early and show a decent amount of games for your sports pleasures. Anything to keep the man happy!

Kudos to our server Thomas for serving us on Christmas Day. Super efficient and very very very attentive server. Napkins, refill on drinks, side plates — he was on it! He had the best attitude even working on Christmas. We enjoyed the food too — pastrami sliders, naked wings, Asian chicken salad, and Reuben sandwich. My family enjoyed there untypical Christmas dinner. Every bring prepared well and as ordered. Thank you Thomas! We hope to see you again.

Giovanni’s is a nice place to go for weekend football or sports in general if you are staying in Waikiki or want a new place to go to over the usual bar scene.
This is a great sports bar/​restaurant to hit up at any time of the day. They open early and you can catch your favorite game on one of the many televisions that circle the entire room.
Service is quick and attentive. Even with only one bartender on at 1000 am in the morning, the bar was packed and everyone was taken care of flawlessly.
This place is known for their Reuben’s and their Pizza from Round Table. The Reuben’s can be pastrami or corn beef or get a mixture. Belief you can even get Kalua pig on it as well but never tried. Very tasty and the Russian sauce compliments well. I recommend the pastrami over the corn beef for a richer taste.
The pizza is a moderate thin crust pizza (not really thin but not thick either). Tons of options on pizza choices and you can even do a half and half and get two options. The pepperoni and the sweet onions help to make this pizza and why it has lasted for so long.
They also carry and number of breakfast items and burgers. I enjoyed the loco moco on another occasion. They have an option for wagyu beef for a $ 4 up charge but stick with the original it’s just as good.
All in all this is a 4 – 4.5÷5 star place based on atmosphere, food selection, and of course just a change up in location here on island. The food I would give a 4.5 for better options then the typical bar food. Price is a little high, about $ 17 – 25 per person, but it’s Waikiki and I’ll pay a couple more dollars to eat something different then simple bar food.
Parking is valet but on weekends it’s a flat $ 3-​$ 6 (can’t remember) for all day so it’s a great option to watch sports all day at and even take a break walking Waikiki (though I’m sure they don’t want you walking else where).
Food 4.5÷5 (for variety)
Price ⁴⁄₅
Service ⁵⁄₅
Atmosphere ⁵⁄₅
Parking ⁵⁄₅

This is best known for :
1. Bar food– mini pastrami sandwiches
2. Giving 10% off for Wyndam guests
3. Watching football
Do not expect to get killer garlic shrimp. The service is friendly and people camp at their tables forever watching football games. The loco Moco is huge with 3 eggs and can feed 3 people. If this meets your sports watching goals, this is the place for you.